Minister of ATR/BPN Reveals Three Categories of Agrarian Conflicts and Their Solutions

JAKARTA - Minister of Agrarian and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) Nusron Wahid revealed that agrarian conflicts cannot be resolved with the same mechanism.

Nusron assessed that the status of land was the key to determining the steps to resolve each agrarian conflict.

He divided it into three categories, namely conflicts in forest areas, conflicts related to state assets, and conflicts with private parties.

"There are three categories of agrarian conflicts and agrarian reform. First, conflicts related to forest areas. Second, conflicts clash with state-owned assets and government assets or BMN. Third, conflicts related to private assets or land," said Nusron, quoted from a written statement, Thursday, August 13.

For conflicts that occur in forest areas, the resolution must follow the forest area release mechanism.

This means that land that is still in the forest area status cannot be transferred just to resolve agrarian conflicts.

The government must first go through the mechanism for releasing the area in accordance with the applicable provisions.

"If it's with the forest, yes, then the forest must be released," he said.

The second category is a conflict involving State-Owned Enterprise (BUMN) assets, government assets or State-Owned Goods (BMN), including assets related to the TNI and Polri.

According to Nusron, this category is actually more complicated because the settlement is not only related to land aspects, but also concerns the law and finances of the state.

"It becomes a problem if it is a claim with state-owned assets or state-owned assets, the TNI, the National Police. Because there are legal complications. There is state financial law and so on," said Nusron.

Therefore, the government cannot arbitrarily release state assets to resolve conflicts.

"If we let go, it will become a corruption issue," he explained.

Meanwhile, conflicts involving private land or assets are considered relatively easier to handle.

The government can bring the parties to the dispute together to find a solution in accordance with the provisions of the law.

If violations or land use are found not to be in accordance with the rules, the government can take action against the permits held by the private sector.

"If the collision with the private sector is relatively easy, we will solve it. We call the private sector, if it is not (there is a violation/does not comply with the rules), we will withdraw the permit," said Nusron.

He revealed that from the proposed priority location for agrarian reform submitted by the Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA), problems related to PTPN and forest areas are actually more than conflicts with private corporations.

The KPA previously submitted a proposal for 865 priority locations for agrarian reform with an area of approximately 1.7 million hectares to the leadership of the Indonesian House of Representatives.

"Which is less with corporations than with PTPN and forests," he explained.

The division based on land status is important because each category has a different resolution path.

The government also discussed the issue with the leadership of the DPR RI, the KPA, and a number of related ministries and agencies.

The coordination meeting was led by the Deputy Speaker of the DPR RI, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, together with the Deputy Speaker of the DPR RI, Cucun Ahmad Syamsurijal and Saan Mustopa.

Thus, the resolution of agrarian conflicts does not solely depend on who controls or claims the land.